UK Police Charge 4 Men with Planning Christmas Terror Attack

Four men were arrested in northern England on Tuesday for their alleged role in planning to commit attacks in the UK at Christmas.

Anti-terrorist officers arrested a 31 year old man at a home in the town of Chesterfield, where nearby residents were evacuated from their homes during the operation, while three other suspects – aged 22, 36, and 44 – were arrested in Sheffield.

It is suspected the mastermind of the planned attacks may have been constructing explosives.

The arrests were a result of a joint operation between police and MI5 – the intelligence service dedicated to internal security in the United Kingdom.

MI5 Director-General, Andrew Parker, recently warned that the terrorist threat in the UK is at unprecedented levels, with nine terrorist plans disrupted within the previous year including a foiled plan to attack the Prime Minister.